CBI arrests Kashmir resident for ‘running child sexual abuse racket’ with US-based wife

CBI said the accused targeted minors and allegedly uploaded pornographic videos and images over the dark web for financial gains.

File photo of the CBI headquarters in New Delhi | Manisha Mondal | ThePrint

Srinagar: The CBI has arrested a Srinagar resident for allegedly running an online child sexual abuse racket along with his wife, who is based in Washington, US.

The accused have been identified as Niyaz Ahmed Mir (35) and his wife Tamara Stanley, CBI sources said. The duo is believed to have targeted minors living in the US.

They have been booked under Section 67B (publishing or transmitting material depicting children in sexually explicit act, in electronic form) of the IT Act and Section 14 (child pornography) of the POCSO Act. Mir was produced before a court Tuesday, the CBI said in a statement.

The CBI added in the statement that the accused allegedly “uploaded the pornographic videos and images over the dark web for financial gains” and were “involved in direct communication with many minors in the USA”.

“His wife is living in Washington, US. The accused was allegedly operating through his wife, who had agreed to be involved in a master-slave relationship with the accused and, in (sic) his direction, she allegedly exploited multiple minors, recorded these abuses and electronically sent the same to him,” the statement added.

“It was also alleged that when the victims refused to follow his dictate (sic), he shared these videos and images with their family members.”

‘Incriminating evidence recovered’

Sources said searches were conducted on the premises of the accused in Srinagar, which “led to the recovery of incriminating digital evidence including three laptops, five mobiles, pen drives and handwritten notes”.

“CBI regularly coordinates with international law enforcement agencies to detect and investigate sexual abuse of minors, especially over the cyber space and also reaffirms its commitment towards promoting cooperation with US law enforcement agencies in combating child sexual abuse in cyberspace,” the CBI said in its statement.

The agency added that “consistent and conscious efforts are being made to identify and detain criminals involved in sexual exploitation of minors”.

“On 16 November, CBI traced and arrested an accused resident of Uttar Pradesh Chitrakoot district on the allegations of sexually abusing over 50 children in Chitrakoot, Banda and Hamirpur districts,” the CBI said.